Photo%by%Jose%Bergua%(2011)%

STRIVE Meeting January 2013

Applying a Social Norms Perspective in Programmes

A social norm or not?

•  Is the programme objective to change a harmful practice or behaviour?

•  Is the behaviour or practice a social norm? •  If behaviour or practice is not a social norm,

are there other social norms that favor its continuation?

Why do we care if practice or behaviour is a social norm or not?

•  Is the programme objective to create a beneficial social norm?

Is a behaviour or practice a social norm? adapted by F. Moneti from diagram by C. Bicchieri (2012)

In a given context or situation what is the main reason that motivates the behaviour:

no%% yes%

2)%%Do%individuals%believe%that%others%who%ma=er%to%them%think%they%should%engage%in%the%pracAce?%%

Behaviour%is%a%social'normIndividuals%may%do%what%others%do%but%there%is%no%“social%obligaAon”%to%do%so%

yes%no%

1)  Do%individuals%engage%in%a%pracAce%because%others%who%ma=er%to%them%engage%in%the%pracAce?%%

Behaviour%followed%because%of%%external%factors%common%to%the%group%or%personal%moAves%that%may%coincide%

with%those%of%others%

4%

Programmatic implications

•  To abandon a social norm, it is necessary to change people’s social expectations within the relevant reference network

•  To create a social norm, it is necessary to induce the right kind of social expectations (empirical and normative) within the relevant reference network

There may be instability behind apparent strength

•  Some (or many) individuals may privately reject a group norm but incorrectly believe that most others accept it (because they see others conform to it). The norm is persistent even though privately opposed by some (or many).

•  The fact that they do not know that others also share their non-comformist view is referred to as pluralistic ignorance.

•  If this is broken down and common knowledge is achieved (whereby people know what other people know and know that other people know they know…), the norm may erode quickly.

Pluralistic ignorance in child marriage

•  In Nepal the age of marriage for girls is around 13, but survey results show that parents think the appropriate age of marriage is around 18.

•  Parents observe other parents marrying their daughters at an early age and assume they do so because they believe it is right or – at least – that they agree with the practice. In fact, many think child marriage is not the best choice. But they do not talk openly about it and are not aware of each other’s opinion. So they keep marrying the girls early.

Process of Community Social Norm Shift Thanks to Gerry Mackie

Community = Reference Network

•  Core groups engage in sustained values deliberations

•  Organized diffusion of deliberations out from expanding core –  within a community –  to other relevant communities

•  Until enough people are ready to change, then •  Coordinated shift among them •  Visible manifestation of shift

–  positive and future-oriented celebration

Core'Group,'1%'of'Popula5on'Tostan'Community'Empowerment'Program'

*'(Near'Labé,'Guinea:''Visit'by'Mackie'and'Tostan'HQ'Volunteer)'

Values'delibera5on%''

Values'Delibera5ons'%%%

Reinforced'by'communica5on'that'replaces'nega5ve'messages'directed'at'individuals…'

%%

with'posi5ve'messages'proposed'to'communi5es'(Sudan,'2005S2010)'images'from'Samira'Ahmed,'UNICEF'Sudan'

%%

Organized'Diffusion'of'Delibera5ons'

Within%Direct%CommuniAes%and%between%Direct%and%%Indirect%CommuniAes%

Tostan%2007%

F%

F%

F%

F%

F%

F%

Enough'People'Ready'to'Change:''Delegates'Arriving'to'Intervillage'Mee5ng'for'Organizing'a'Public'

Declara5on'of'Abandonment,'Ziguinchor,'Senegal,'2004'

Public'Declara5on:'collec5ve'pledge'to'promote'human'rights'and'the'health'of'girls'and'women'

Medina'Sambe'Kandé,'Senegal,'2004'Photo:''Tostan'

Key'Moment'for'Shi^'From''Old'Norm'to'New'Norm'

Larger'Scale:''Virtualiza5on'of'Community'Process'In'Integrated'Na5onal'Program'Saleema'Campaign,'Sudan,'2010+'

all'material'adapted'from'Samira'Ahmed'PPT,'2011,'Sudan'UNICEF%%

UNICEF

Type+your+title+in+this+FOOTER+area+and+in+CAPS

Changing expectations involves

•  Trust – by who? Towards whom? •  Collective deliberation – with what content? to what

end? •  Attaining common knowledge – about what? •  Collective manifestations of commitment – for what

purpose? •  Pride – of what?

The'example'of'communitySled'total'sanita5on'(CLTS)'

Thanks%to%Therese%Dooley%–%Senior%WASH%Specialist,%UNICEF%NYHQ%

CLTS'in'Mali'–'first'results'

In the first 3 months after triggering ! latrine coverage increased from average of 30% to 100% in the first triggered communities

Number'of'people'with'access'to'household'latrines'as'a'result'of'UNICEFSsupported'CATS'interven5ons'

As'of'early'2012,'more'than'15'million'people'now'live'in'ODF'communi5es'as'a'direct'result'of'UNICEF'support.'Indirectly,'103'million'people'have'benefieed'

Network%Theory%

Define%Target%Audience%

Community%engagement%

Triggering%

Public%DeclaraAon%

Community%M&E%

IncenAves%

Diffusion%

Social%norm%theory%

Pre\triggering%

Selec5ng'a'community'and'building'a'rapport'before'triggering'takes'place'(Network'Theory'&'Defining'Target'

Audience)'

Triggering%

Using'a'variety'of'demonstra5ons'to'encourage'a'community'to'face'the'hard'reality'of'open'defeca5on'and'the'impact'it'is'having''''''''''''''''''''''''on'their'village''(Community'Engagement,'Triggering,'Public'Declara5on)'

Tool'1:'The'Transect'Walk'•  The%community%takes%a%tour%of%the%village%to%view%areas%of%open%

defecaAon.%%•  This%creates%a%sense%of%collec5ve'embarrassment'forcing%the%community%

to%acknowledge%their%sanitaAon%situaAon.%%%%•  No%individual%shame%is%involved%in%this%process.%

Community'delibera5on:'''Communicate%around%socio\ethnically%relevant%issues:%%CLTS%based%around%the%universal%emoAons%of%shame%and%disgust%(not%health%based).%%%CLTS%facilitator%is%“there%to%learn”.%%It%is%not%a%prescripAve%strategy;%there%are%no%latrine%plans%given%

Tool'2:'Open'Defeca5on'Mapping'

•  Community%members%help%draw%a%map%of%their%village%including%all%major%structures,%water%points%and%areas%of%open%defecaAon%

Tool'3:'Food'and'Feces'

•  The%facilitator%places%the%a%sample%of%feces%on%the%floor%next%to%a%piece%of%food.%Flies%will%most%likely%move%between%the%feces%and%food.%%

•  When%asked,%people%will%refuse%to%eat%the%food.%%The%facilitator%asks%the%community%“why?”%and%the%link%is%then%made%between%open%defecaAon%and%eaAng%feces.%%%

Tool'4:'Water'and'Feces'

•  The%facilitator%places%the%a%sample%of%feces%inside%a%bo=le%containing%drinking%water).%%When%asked,%people%will%refuse%to%drink%the%water.%%

•  %The%facilitator%asks%the%community%“why?”%and%the%link%is%then%made%between%open%defecaAon%and%eaAng%feces.%%%

Tool'5:'Shit'and'Shake'•  They%use%a%leaf%or%hand%to%wipe%away%their%

shit%acer%defecaAng%(using%charcoal%or%clay).%The%community%is%asked%“what%is%lec%on%my%fingers?%%

•  The%facilitator%then%shakes%hands%with%other%members%of%the%community%including%the%chief%

•  Food%is%offered%to%those%people%who%have%shaken%hands%with%each%other.%%

•  This%sparks%the%understanding%that%shaking%a%neighbour’s%hand%and%not%washing%may%lead%to%you%eaAng%their%shit.%

Natural'Leaders'

•  Acer%the%triggering,%the%facilitator%will%ask%the%community%what%they%will%do%about%their%sanitaAon%situaAon.%

•  Natural%Leaders%are%highly%moAvated%community%members%who%%volunteer%to%help%improve%sanitaAon%situaAon%in%their%community.%%

•  They%help%moAvate%households%to%build%their%latrines%and%help%oversee%construcAon%

%Diffusion'S'natural'leaders'o^en'go'on'to'trigger'other'communi5es'in'the'surrounding'area'and'are'therefore'cri5cal'in'the'scaleSup'

Community'Ac5on'Plan''

•  The%Natural%Leaders%encourage%the%community%to%draw%up%their%own%plan%of%acAon%

•  Includes%a%realisAc%Ame%frame%for%compleAon%(no%more%than%3%months)%•  Displayed%in%a%central/public%locaAon%•  Each%household%is%checked%off%following%the%compleAon%of%their%latrine%

The'community'develops'their'own'plan'to'improve'their'sanita5on'situa5on'and'sets'5me'limits.'Community'members'are'able'to'monitor'compliance.'“BySlaw”'that'is'selfSenforced.'

PostStriggering'

Latrine'construc5on,'monitoring'and'followSup,'ODF'verifica5on,'declara5on'and'celebra5on'(Monitoring'and'Evalua5on,'Incen5ves,'

Diffusion)'

Latrine'Construc5on'

Incen5ves'(none'economic)'

PosiAve%internal%incenAve:%%%\%pride%for%achieving%ODF%status%

%NegaAve%internal%incenAves:%%

%\%shame%and%disgust%in%the%act%of%%%%%%%%%%%%open%defecaAon.%%%%External%incenAves:%%

%\%ODF%cerAficaAon%and%celebraAon%%%%%%%%%%for%achieving%ODF%status.%%

ODF'Declara5on'and'Celebra5on'

•  Once%all%latrines%have%been%completed%and%the%community%meets%the%required%ODF%standards,%it%can%be%declared%Open%DefecaAon%Free.%

•  VerificaAon%must%be%carried%out%by%independent%monitors%(e.g.%District%Council,%other%NGOs%etc).%

•  The%community%then%celebrates%their%new%ODF%status%

The'new'social'norm'is'created'–'the'new'social'expecta5ons'are'clear'to'all'(including'visitors)'

Changing expectations involves

•  Trust – by who? Towards whom? •  Collective deliberation – with what content? to what

end? •  Attaining common knowledge – about what? •  Collective manifestations of commitment – for what

purpose? •  Pride – of what?

Further insights – define/reinforce positive social expectations

•  Bring ‘the problem’ into the public deliberation sphere

•  What could happen if new evidence makes it known that ‘the problem’ is widespread?

•  Effort needs to –  make evident the degree of adherence to positive

behaviour and its benefits –  Reinforce existing notions of ‘social desirability’ of

positive behaviour or practice –  Stimulate commitment to end the negative behaviour –  Make this commitment and adherence to positive

behaviour manifest